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(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheer 1.

0. G. WILTSE.

POTATO BIGGER.

No. 267,959. Patnted Nov. 21, 1882.

INVBNTOR mm M MWs e ATTORNEYS WITNESSES N. PETERS. Pholc-bthographcr. Washingh). llC,

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0.. G. WILTSE.

(No Model.)

POTATQ BIGGER. No. 267,959.:

Patented Nov. 21, 1882.

WITNESSES INVENTOR V .ZM www AV (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. G. WILTSB.

POTATO DIGGER. No. 267,959. Pat ntedNov. 21. 1882 W F "WI 16.

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fi BY 'la vfiawzc Q ATTORNEYS UN TED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

' CHARLES G. WILTSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

POTATO-DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,959, dated November 21, 1882. Application filed July 29, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G". WILTSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of potato-diggers in which the tubers, together with the earth, are received from the plow in the scoops of an elevator, whereby they are deposited on a delivery-chute, from which they roll on a laterally-reciprocating distributer, allowing a portion to pass through it, the remaining portion passing over its edge,whence they fall into a receptacle having two compartments.

My invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts which are hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line w m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates a truck, comprisin g four wheels, B B, and havingthe forward wheelaxle provided with means for attaching a draft- B of the truck A.

animal orpower. In rear of the forward wheels B is located the plow O. This plow is attached to a standard or upright, D, extending a certain distance above and below the truckframe A. This standard D also offers bearings to the axles of pulleys E F, over which pass endless chains or belts G, to which the scoops H are attached. ."The axle of pulleys F is provided with a gear-wheel, I, gearing into a gear-wheel, J, to which motion is imparted by the endless chain K, which chain in its turn receives motion from one of the wheels with an elevator. These scoops H are toothed, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3,.so that they are enabled to pass through the toothed rear edge of the plow G and take up the substances which have thereon deposited themselves.

From the plow the scoops H carry up their contents and deposit them on the chute L, which is also toothed at the edge nearest the scoops H, so as to allow the teeth of the scoops to pass through. The chute L leads the material thereon deposited onto distributer,

The truck is thus supplied,

M. This distributer M is hung in bearings, and receives a reciprocating motion from the cam -1ever N, which cam-lever is actuated by the cam O on one of the wheels B. A spring, P, opposes the action of the cam 0, thus securing a reciprocating motion of the cam-lever N and distributer M. The distributer M is made to resemble a grate or coarse sieve, Fig. 2, and its reciprocating motion causesthe earth and other foreign substances to be separated from any products-as, for example, potatoes-which may have been deposited on the distributer. The earth and foreign substances fall to the ground through that part of the distributer which is nearest to the chute L,while the potatoes or other products pass on along the chute, the finer ones falling through the chute into that compartment of the receptacle Q which is on one side of the partition R, while the coarser ones pass over the chute into the other compartment of said receptacle.

As will be seen from the arrangement of the apparatus, the products are caused to pass into the receptacle Q almost entirely freed from earth and foreign substances.

To empty the compartments of the receptacle Q, the hinged bottoms S, one being provided for each compartment, are allowed to swing down by means of the levers T. These levers T are each connected to one arm of bellcrank levers U, which bell-crank levers swing on the body of the truck, while the other arm of each of the bell-crank levers is connected to the free end ofeach of the hinged bottoms S.'

It is also to be noted that the standard or upright D, to which the plow and the pulleys of the chain G supporting the scoops are hung, is perpendicularly movable, and is hung to one arm of the bell-crank lever V, which bell-crank leverV swings on a fixed part of the truck A.

By moving the lever W, to which the bellcrank'lever V is connected, in the proper direction the standard or upright D is raised, the gear-wheel I is lifted out of gear with the gear-wheel J, and the operation of the elevator ceases. The plow O is also at the same time raised. The gear-wheel J has its bearings in a fixed standard or part of the truck A, as shown in the drawing This apparatusis specially adapted for taking potatoes or other products out of or up fromthe ground and causing them to be collected in a rapid manner and with small expenditure of labor.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a frame, A, mounted on supporting ground-wheels, a standard, D, connected with the frame to project above and below the same, a plow, O, toothed on the rear edge and attached to the lower end of the standard, the wheels E and F, supported by the standard above and below the frame, the elevator having toothed scoops H, the inclined delivery-chute L,toothed at its forward edge, the vibrating grate or sieve M at the lower end of the chute, and a potato-receiving receptacle supported by the frame under the discharge end of the grate or sieve, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the wheeled frame A, the standard D, vertically movable on the frame, and carrying a plow, 0, having a toothed rear edge, the elevating mechanism having toothed pockets, means for raising and lo wering the standard on the frame and thereby stopping and starting the elevator, and a delivery-chute, L, and vibrating grate or sieve M, both located adjacent to the upper end of the elevator, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the wheeled frameA, the standard D, movable vertically on the frame, and carrying at its lower end the plow 0, having a toothed rear edge, the elevatingbuckets having toothed scoops, and carried by the standard, and means for raising and lowering the standard and thereby stopping and starting the elevator, substantially as described.

' 4. The combination of thewheeled frame A,

the standard D, movable vertically thereon, the plow 0, attached to the lower end of the standard, the elevating mechanism carried by the standard, the inclined delivery-chute L, located adjacentto the upper end of the elevator, and means for raising and loweringthe standard from the drivers seat and. thereby starting and stopping the elevator, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a potato-digger, of a standard, D, vertically adjustable on the wheeled frame, and projecting above and below the latter, a plow, (l,having a toothed rear edge and attached to the lower end of the standard, toothed elevating buckets, and means, for raising and lowering the standard in a vertical plane and thereby stopping and starting the elevating-buckets, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the wheeled frame A, the elevator driving-wheel J, mounted in fixed hearings on the frame, the standard D, Vertically movable on the wheeled frame, and carrying at its upper end the gear-wl1eelF,the axis of which is provided with a gear-wheel, I, the elevating mechanism carried by the standard, and means for raising and lowering the standard to engage and disengage the said gearwheels and thereby start and stop the elevator, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and sealin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. G. WILTSE. [L.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

